AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team split its games on day three of the Russ Matt Invitational.  The Cardinals claimed a 3-0 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan College before losing to Maryville University by a score of 6-2.  The 1-1 record for the day puts SVSU at 3-2 overall on the season.

Game 1

SVSU struck right away, scoring a run in the top of the first inning as Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) doubled-in Matt Hunt (Howell, Mich./Concordia University) to take a 1-0 advantage. 

The top of the fifth would see the Cards add another run.  Hunt led-off with a walk and was moved to third on a Brandon Schwanz (Novi, Mich./Henry Ford CC) double.  O'Boyle would then shoot a fly ball out to center, which would knock-in Hunt for the game's second run.

The Cardinals' third and final run came in the sixth inning, as Eric Burt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) singled to score Mike VanAlst (Clio, Mich.).

The SVSU pitching staff had plenty to work with in the contest, as Eric Hummel (Menominee, Mich./Minnesota-Duluth) started and tossed seven shutout innings to earn his first victory in an SVSU uniform and Justin Drzewicki (Bay City, Mich./Central HS) finished the game, earning a two-inning save.

Schwanz and Ryan Ermers (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson HS) each had two hits for SVSU.  O'Boyle had a hit and a pair of RBI's while Burt added an RBI single.  Hunt was 1-for-1 at the plate with four walks. 

Game 2

Maryville took an early 2-0 lead after the first inning.  The Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, as Dan Norton (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central HS) knocked-in Ermers to make the score 2-1.  The Cardinals' only other run came in the seventh after Schwanz reached on a fielder's choice, plating Burt for SVSU's second and final run.

Schwanz had two more hits in the contest for the Cardinals, including an RBI.  VanAlst added a pair of doubles for Saginaw Valley.

Steve Janes (Chesterton, Ind.) took the loss on the hill, pitching 5.0 innings, giving up three runs.

The Cardinals are back in action tomorrow, as they square-off against #10 Minnesota State-Mankato in a single, nine inning contest.